Kashima Antlers

Kashima Antlers
鹿島アントラーズ
Full name Kashima Antlers F.C.
Founded 1947 (1947) (Sumitomo Metals FC)
Ground Kashima Soccer Stadium
Kashima, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan
Ground Capacity 40,728 [1]
Chairman Shigeru Ibata
Manager Masatada Ishii
League J1 League
2015 J1 League, 5th
Website Club home page

Kashima Antlers (鹿島アントラーズ Kashima Antorāzu) are a Japanese professional association football club playing in the J1 League with financial backing from the Nippon Steel & Sumitomo Metal. Antlers is derived from the city name, Kashima, which literally means "deer island".

Since the J. League's creation and introduction of professional Japanese football in 1993, Kashima have proved by far Japan's most successful club team, having won the J. League title a record seven times, the J. League Cup a record six times and the Emperor's Cup four times for an unprecedented total of seventeen major domestic titles. Kashima have finished in the top five of the league for over seventy percent of all seasons played to date, recorded an average end of season league placing of third and captured a major domestic title in over sixty percent of all seasons played to date.

Kashima are also one of only three teams to have competed in Japan's top flight of professional football every year since its inception.

Overview history

Inside the Kashima Soccer Stadium
Outside the Kashima Soccer Stadium

The name ‘Antlers’ is derived from the city of Kashima, which literally translates to ‘Deer Island’. The club crest not only resembles deer antlers but it also reflects the image of rose thorn as it is the official flower of Ibaraki, the home prefecture of the club. Deer are amiable animals and are viewed in some religions as spiritual messengers. In fact, Kashima Shrine, one of the most famous shrines in Japan and located in close proximity to the club headquarters, have kept and raised deer for more than 1,300 years as spiritual symbol. Deer are affectionate animals but are also known for their courageous character as they battle each other head to head with lethal antlers.

Founded in 1947 as Sumitomo Metal Industries Factory Football Club in Osaka. It played in the semi-professional Japan Soccer League and moved to Kashima, Ibaraki Prefecture in 1975. They were promoted to the JSL's top flight in 1984, but never made much of an impact, going down in 1985/86, returning in 1986/87 and going down again in 1988/89. Its last standing in the JSL was 2nd in the Second Division for 1991/92.

After the formation of the fully professional J. League, Sumitomo, like all other clubs, stripped the corporate brand from the team name and reformed as the Kashima Antlers. Kashima was essentially promoted to the new top flight, as many JSL First Division teams decided to relegate themselves being unprepared for professionalism. (Of the original 10 J. League founding member clubs, Kashima and Shimizu S-Pulse were newly promoted. Ironically, Kashima had defeated a forerunner of Shimizu's, Nippon Light Metal/Hagoromo Club, to earn its JSL Second Division place back in 1974).

Since the J. League's creation and introduction of professional Japanese football in 1993, Kashima have consistently been amongst the strongest teams in the country, holding several distinctions and records. Led by former Brazilian star and Japanese national team coach Zico in the team's formative years, Kashima were the first team to win a J. League stage, claiming the 1st stage of the inaugural season in 1993. This laid a platform for continuous greatness and long after the Kashima icon had departed, in 2000 Kashima became the first J. League team to achieve the "treble", by winning all three major titles: J. League, J. League Cup, and Emperor's Cup in the same year.

In recent times, by clinching the 2007 J. League title they became the first and only team in Japan to have won ten domestic titles in the professional era. In 2008 they became the first and only club to successfully defend the J. League title on two separate occasions. In 2009 they became the first and only club to win three consecutive J. League titles. With victories in back to back J. League Cups in 2011, 2012 and most recently followed by their 2015 victory, Kashima extended their unmatched record of major domestic titles in the professional era to seventeen.

To this day, Kashima has maintained strong ties with the football community in Brazil, a fact borne out of Zico's past affiliation with the club. Kashima's Brazilian connection has manifested itself in both the club's player transfer and coaching policy resulting in only three non-Brazilian foreign players and predominantly Brazilian managers signing for Kashima since the inception of the J. League.

The population of Kashima city is a mere 60,000 and for that reason club has also adopted the surrounding cities of Itako, Hasaki, Kamisu, Namegata and Hokota as its official hometowns, all in Ibaraki Prefecture. The combined population of five cities is 280,000. Antlers home games are played at Kashima Soccer Stadium, one of the 2002 FIFA World Cup venues with capacity of 40,000.

The team plays at the Kashima Soccer Stadium.

Slogans

YearSlogan
1998CHALLENGE
1999NEXT
2000Glory Again – 原点からの挑戦 –
2001- 勝利主義 Antlersism – FOR NEXT 10 YEARS
2002- 進化 Antlersism – STAIRWAY TO THE WORLD
2003OVER'03 – カシマからアジア、そして世界へ –
2004FOOTBALL DREAM 2004 – 奪冠10 –
2005FOOTBALL DREAM 2005 – 反撃宣言 –
2006FOOTBALL DREAM 2006 – 一新制覇 –
2007FOOTBALL DREAM'07 – 魂 Spirits –
2008FOOTBALL DREAM 2008 – DESAFIO 挑戦 –
2009FOOTBALL DREAM 2009 – PROGRESSO 飛躍 –
2010FOOTBALL DREAM 2010 – Evolução 新化 –
2011FOOTBALL DREAM NEXT
2012SMILE AGAIN with PRIDE
2013RENASCIMENTO – 誇りを胸に –
2014SPECTACLE – 戦 –
2015RISE TO THE CHALLENGE – 覚悟 –
2016Football Dream ともに

Players

Current squad

As of 21 February 2016.[2]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
1 Japan GK Masatoshi Kushibiki
3 Japan DF Gen Shoji
5 Japan DF Takeshi Aoki
6 Japan MF Ryota Nagaki
7 Brazil MF Caio
8 Japan MF Shoma Doi
9 Brazil FW Dinei
10 Japan MF Gaku Shibasaki
13 Japan MF Atsutaka Nakamura
14 South Korea DF Hwang Seok-ho
15 Japan FW Hiroyuki Takasaki
16 Japan DF Shuto Yamamoto
17 Brazil DF Bueno
18 Japan FW Shuhei Akasaki
20 Japan MF Kento Misao
21 Japan GK Hitoshi Sogahata
No. Position Player
22 Japan DF Daigo Nishi
23 Japan DF Naomichi Ueda
24 Japan DF Yukitoshi Ito
25 Japan MF Yasushi Endo
26 Japan MF Kazune Kubota
28 Japan DF Koki Machida
29 Japan GK Shinichiro Kawamata
30 Japan MF Hisashi Ohashi
31 Japan GK Yuto Koizumi
32 Japan MF Taro Sugimoto
34 Japan FW Yuma Suzuki
35 Japan MF Taiki Hirato
36 Japan MF Toshiya Tanaka
37 Japan MF Yuki Kakita
40 Japan MF Mitsuo Ogasawara (captain)

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
Japan DF Ryuga Suzuki (at Tochigi SC)

Managers

ManagerNationalityTenure
Masakatsu Miyamoto  Japan January 1992 – June 1994
Edu  Brazil June 1994 – December 1995
João Carlos  Brazil January 1996 – July 1998
Takashi Sekizuka (interim)  Japan July 1998
Zé Mario  Brazil July 1998 – August 1999
Takashi Sekizuka (interim)  Japan August 1999
Zico (interim)  Brazil 20 August 1999 – 31 December 1999
Toninho Cerezo  Brazil 1 January 2000 – 30 December 2005
Paulo Autuori  Brazil 31 December 2005 – 29 November 2006
Oswaldo de Oliveira  Brazil 1 January 2007 – 31 December 2011
Jorginho  Brazil 1 January 2012 – 31 December 2012
Toninho Cerezo  Brazil 1 January 2013 – 22 July 2015
Masatada Ishii  Japan 23 July 2015 –

Record as J. League member

Season Division Teams Position Average Attendance J. League Cup Emperor's Cup Asia
1992 - - - - Semifinal Quarterfinal - -
1993 J1 10 2 14,016 Group Stage Final - -
1994 J1 12 3 16,812 1st Round 1st Round - -
1995 J1 14 7 19,141 - Semifinal - -
1996 J1 16 1 15,386 Group Stage Quarterfinal - -
1997 J1 17 2 16,985 Winner Winner - -
1998 J1 18 1 15,345 Semifinal Semifinal CC Quarterfinal
1999 J1 16 9 17,049 Final 4th Round CWC 3rd Place
2000 J1 16 1 17,507 Winner Winner CC Quarterfinal
2001 J1 16 1 22,425 Semifinal Quarterfinal - -
2002 J1 16 4 21,590 Winner Final CC Quarterfinal
2003 J1 16 5 21,204 Final Semifinal CL Group Stage
2004 J1 16 6 17,585 Quarterfinal Quarterfinal - -
2005 J1 18 3 18,641 Group Stage Quarterfinal - -
2006 J1 18 6 15,433 Final Semifinal - -
2007 J1 18 1 16,239 Semifinal Winner - -
2008 J1 18 1 19,714 Quarterfinal 5th Round CL Quarterfinal
2009 J1 18 1 21,617 Quarterfinal Quarterfinal CL Round of 16
2010 J1 18 4 20,966 Quarterfinal Winner CL Round of 16
2011 J1 18 6 16,156 Winner 4th Round CL Round of 16
2012 J1 18 11 15,381 Winner Semifinal - -
2013 J1 18 5 16,419 Quarterfinal 4th Round - -
2014 J1 18 3 17,665 Group Stage 2nd Round - -
2015 J1 18 5 16,423 Winner 3rd Round CL Group Stage

Honors

Sumitomo Soccer Club (Amateur era)

Kashima Antlers (Professional era)

International

Personnel awards

World Cup players

The following players have been selected by their country in the World Cup, while playing for Kashima Antlers:

Olympic players

The following players have represented their country at the Summer Olympic Games whilst playing for Kashima Antlers:

Former players

International capped players

References

  1. ↑ Kashima Soccer Stadium
  2. ↑ "Players". Kashima Antlers Official Website.

External links

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